


Bowling?

by redchemist



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Brunch, Dancing Lessons, F/F, Fluff, One-Shot, bowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-07-01 15:48:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15777180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redchemist/pseuds/redchemist
Summary: Alyssa is in a funk after the big mid-season trade. Julie deputizes Danny to help the goalkeeper out of her slump.





	1. Bowling

Danny knew she needed to do something. Alyssa had been down in the dumps ever since the big, midseason trade happened. The trade moved her roommate and partner-in-crime Sam Johnson across the country to the Utah Royals. Her own best bud Sofia Huerta had been traded to Houston. Luckily, her housemates Alyssa Mautz, Rosie, and Katie didn't let her fall into a slump. They had kept dragging her out, keeping her busy. Somehow, they found a balance between a time to grieve her loss and not letting her slide into a depression.

No one had done that for Alyssa. The goalkeeper retreated inward, isolating herself from her teammates. The difference in her behavior had become noticeable. At the end of practice yesterday, Julie had overhead Brooke (a new arrival from Utah) trying to get Alyssa to go out. The goalkeeper had refused, sullenly avoiding any attempts at conversation the whole ride home. Her concern triggered, the Red Stars captain had texted Danny. Julie thought she would be the best to approach Alyssa, having gone through a similar, shocking trade of a close friend.

That was how Danny ended up outside of Alyssa's apartment door. She was going to take the moping woman out, the easy way or the hard way. Hopefully, Alyssa would choose the easy way. Danny rapped twice on the door and waited for the goalkeeper to answer.

"Danny?" Surprise colored the older woman's voice. "What are you doing here? Do you need something fixed? I can grab my tool kit."

"No, no, nothing is broken Uncle, don't worry." Danny said, shaking her head. "But go grab your shoes. We are headed out for the day."

"Danny, I appreciate the offer..." Alyssa sighed. "But I am not up for going to a club tonight. Maybe Vanessa or Rosie want to go.

"We aren't going to a club Lys. And you are coming out with me, just me." Danny crossed her arms. "You've been moping since Sammy got traded. So, you and I are going to go have fun. You don't need to change, just go grab your Nikes."

"You aren't going to drop this, are you?" Alyssa sighed as Danny shook her head. "Fine. I know better than to argue when you make that face. I'll grab my shoes."

"Woohoo! You won't regret it Lys. I promise." Danny said as a grin spread across her face.

10 minutes later, the pair had settled into Danny's car and headed toward the heart of downtown. The radio filled the silence while Alyssa stared out he passenger window. The city of Chicago still marveled her with the mixture of old and new architecture. The younger woman glanced over once she had parked the car. Alyssa hadn't moved.

"Lys? We're here. Time for brunch."

"Yeah, ok Danny." She shook her head to clear the fog before they climbed out.

The two women head into the local café and take a corner booth. A quick glance at the menu was all they needed to order; they were frequent visitors. Danny responded to a text from Julie then glanced up to see Alyssa playing with her straw, zoned out again. She decided to go for it.

"I haven't quite adapted yet, either. To Sofia being in Houston, I mean. I expect to see her at practice, down the block with Ollie, waking me up at 4 AM because her and Matt fought so she needs ice cream. I can imagine how off kilter you are, having lost your roommate on top of friends and teammates.

"Yeah." Another sigh slipped from Alyssa's lips. "The apartment feels empty. Sam has a certain energy, you know?"

"Oh yeah, I know. Sam has and always will be a big, sassy ball of energy." Danny gave a small smile as Alyssa chuckled. "Do you need another roommate? Maybe Moe can live with you now that she is back here."

"Nah." Alyssa shook her head. "That would only make things worse. I'll stick by myself for the rest of the season."

"Then you have to come play cards with us. Just watch for Rosie. She cheats."

"I'll think about it."

A quick frown danced on Danny's face when Alyssa wouldn't commit. Quickly, she replaced it with a smile. Getting out of a funk takes time. She would get Alyssa to a card game by the end of the season. Maybe even hosting one.

The two friends ate a fulfilling brunch, chatting about their friends' latest antics. Both were careful to avoid the mention of both Sofia and Sam. Neither woman wanted the mood to shift to a more somber tone. After leaving a generous tip, the pair left for their next destination.

"Now will you tell me where you are going?" Alyssa's soft-spoken question made Danny jump.

"Oh, umm, yeah. We are going bowling. I know a place right down the road from here."

"Bowling?" Skepticism colored her voice.

"Yeah, bowling. You know, use a heavy ball to knock down pins. You may or may not make a complete fool of yourself." Danny's dry tone caused Alyssa to snort.

"I know what bowling is, smart ass."

"Hey now. There is no reason to get rude. You're the one who asked." Danny rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face betrayed her. "It's a fun day out. But it should be easy on that troublesome back of yours."

"Well...you got me there." Alyssa conceded. "Bowling it is then."

"That's the spirit!" Danny glanced over and smiled again. "And I didn't invite anyone else, so you only have to socialize with me."

"I will do my best."

The two of them shared a laugh as the mood in the car lightened considerably. It was a short drive to the bowling alley. The pair went inside and rented a lane for 3 games. After lacing up their bowling shoes (Danny in the largest kid size they had) and managing to find the appropriate bowling balls, the two were ready to play.

"I'm going to whoop you." Danny tossed over her shoulder as she prepared to bowl first.

"We will see about that. Show me the skill to back up that trash talk." Alyssa spoke as she crossed her arms.

Danny got into position and threw her first ball. A squeal escaped her when she threw a strike. Excitedly, she clapped her hands as she headed back. Inside, the slight smirk on Alyssa's face warmed her heart. Maybe Alyssa would be able to enjoy this afternoon.

"Your turn Lys. Show me what you got."

"Alright, alright." The goalkeeper stood and stretched out her back. "Snap this to Sam so she will know that you dragged me out."

"I got you covered. Now, try to have fun." Danny grabbed her phone and sent Sam the video of Alyssa throwing a strike. Her caption read: Game On.

\---

"I am not worthy! When did you get so good?!" The midfielder good naturedly groaned as the pair unlaced their bowling shoes.

She had managed to eek out a win the first game. Then things turned ugly. Alyssa had thoroughly whooped her the second game and trounced her in the tie-breaker final. It was during that game Alyssa had finally relaxed. She had rubbed Danny's nose in the thrashing each frame.

"No idea." Alyssa shrugged. "But I whooped you."

"Yeah you did. You wiped the floor with me." She chuckled. "Can I be a gracious loser and treat you to lunch?"

"I wouldn't be a soccer player if I turned down free food."

"True girl, true. You up for eating here or do you want to go somewhere else?"

"Here is fine with me." She didn't want to make Danny spend more than she had.

"Excellent. I'll turn in your shoes. You go find us a table and order some drinks." Danny held out her hand for Alyssa's shoes.

"I can do that. Thanks Danny." Alyssa handed over her shoes and wandered toward the booths on the other side of the bowling alley.

Danny found her friend sitting at a small, two-person booth buried in the NYT crossword. The midfielder was only able to smile as she sat down. TO her credit, Alyssa looked up right away. She folded and stored the paper in her backpack.

"Sorry. Didn't know how long you would be."

"It's all good! The line was pretty long, but it moved quickly." Danny grinned and grabbed a menu.

A sever wandered over a few minutes later to take the two women's orders. Conversation flowed easily between them. They found themselves leaning on each other as they related to adjusting to life without their close friends. Alyssa was adjusting to living alone. Danny was still getting used to not seeing Sofia every day. Being able to discuss their pain with someone who understood was cathartic. Eventually the conversation turned to memories.

"Remember when Sam sent that Snapchat of you dancing to the whole team?"

"How could I forget?" Alyssa moaned as the short woman snickered. A blush painted her cheeks at the memory. "Steph still hasn't stopped offering me dance lessons. No way would I trust her to show me. She'd probably make it worse. And film it." The mere thought made the older woman shudder.

"You are most definitely correct. She'd post it on Instagram for everyone see." Danny agreed as she laughed. Steph was always playing pranks on her Boston friend.

"Do you still want to learn how to dance?" Danny inquired.

"I mean, it would be nice to not embarrass myself the next time we go out to a club." Alyssa shrugged. "Why?"

"Well..." The midfielder played with her straw. "I could teach you. I dance better than the average white girl. Rosie and Nikki can attest to my skills."

Alyssa pondered the offer. She needed to improve her dancing before Sam came to visit. It was also the perfect excuse to spend more time with Danny. Her teammates would be happy she was getting out and about. A win for everyone.

"Deal. Just name a time and place." She smiled.

"Really?" Shock and glee covered Danny's face.

"Truly." Both women were now pink.

"Next Thursday evening at your place? Best place to practice with no one watching." The midfielder held her breath.

"It's a date."

Neither women stopped smiling the rest of the afternoon.


	2. A Dancing Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dancing date take place.

“Lys? Alyssa come open the door! It is just me!” Danny hollered in the hallway of Alyssa’s apartment building. She had knocked twice on the door, attempting to get the goalkeeper to let her in. So far, she was unsuccessful. “You can’t get out of our dancing lesson this easily! I’ll call Steph and have her bring over the spare key.”

Alyssa must have heard Danny’s threat loud and clear. She heard footsteps rapidly approaching the door followed by the unlocking of the deadbolt. The door swung open to welcome Danny inside.

“Sorry Danny.” Alyssa sheepishly apologized as she closed the door behind Danny. “I was talking to Abby with my headphones in and didn’t hear you knocking.”

“The kiddos ok?”

“Yeah.” Alyssa grinned at the mention of her niece and nephew. “They are doing really well. Abs was just filling me in on their latest antics and asking when I was going to come visit again.”

“Awww! I bet they can’t wait to see you again.” Danny’s mild irritation evaporated when she saw the grin on Alyssa’s face. She put her bag down on the couch then looked at her friend. “Do you want to start your lesson, or do you need a drink first?”

“Definitely going to need a drink.”

“Well. I brought your favorite.” Danny retrieved a bottle of wine from her backpack.

Alyssa took the bottle from her gratefully and went to her kitchen. She gathered two wine glasses and a corkscrew, setting everything down on the bar. She uncorked the bottle and poured them each a glass. When Alyssa rejoined Danny on the couch, she offered her one. Danny took it and clinked it to Alyssa’s before taking a drink.

“So, you really have no rhythm huh?”

“Nope. Not a drop. Sam can testify. The only way she could get me to dance around the apartment is if she swore not to film it. Any part of it. I couldn’t risk her putting it on Snapchat or Instagram. Then I would never be able to live it down.”

“I’m sure you have at least an ounce. It just may be buried, very deep. We will find it. Soon you will be out dancing with Rosie and Brooke in the club at no time.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it.” Alyssa shook her head as Danny laughed.

The two watched an episode of friends while they finished the bottle of wine. Danny had a feeling that Alyssa would need the liquid courage to loosen up before they got started – that was why she texted Sam and found out the quiet woman’s favorite bottle of wine. Once they polished the bottle off, Danny took their glasses and put them on the bar. There was no reason to risk broken glass. Danny returned to the couch and grabbed her phone. She used Chromecast to pull up one of her favorite beats off her phone. She then turned and extended her hand towards Alyssa.

“Come on Lys. Time to find that inner groove.”

The goalkeeper groaned but took Danny’s hand, allowing the small woman to pull her to her feet. Part of her was looking forward to the lesson. If she performed poorly enough, she may be able to stretch it to two.

“So…how do we start?”

“You have to find the beat. You have to feel it.” Danny said. “Here.”

Danny closed the distance between them. She grabbed Alyssa’s hands and placed them on her hips. She started to sway to the beat. Alyssa did her best to conceal the blush that threatened to color her cheeks. She stood stock still, her limbs feeling locked into place at the rush of unknown emotion. Only the concern she saw in Danny’s honey colored eyes did she manage to get her body to move.

“There ya go. Let the wine work it’s magic and just feel.”

The midfielder kept up the sway of her hips. After a moment, Alyssa could follow the sway with her. She kept her eyes locked on Danny’s. The warmth in them, the smile shining through, was all she could see. It warmed something deep down in the older woman.

“See, you can find a beat!” Danny praised her friend while grinning up at her. She saw the blush color the woman’s cheeks, though she would bet that Alyssa would credit the wine for it.

“You found the beat. I just followed your movements.”

“Alright smarty pants then I’m gonna change the song and you will see that you can find it.”

Danny stepped away and grabbed her phone off the coffee table. She switched to a different song and placed it back on the table. Then she turned to Alyssa.

“Alright. Close your eyes and find the beat.”

“Danny there is no way.” Alyssa protested.

“Stop doubting yourself.” Danny closed the distance between them. “Close your eyes.” She stood there, staring up at the goalkeeper until she did as instructed. “Now feel the beat. Stop overthinking it. Just feel it.”

Alyssa stood there, attempting to do her best. She did her best to keep her mind from following several tangential thoughts and focused on the beat from the song. Danny watched with vested interest. She knew that her friend could do it, if she could just relax.

Right when Danny was about to retrieve her phone to change the song, she saw Alyssa start to move. It was a simple swaying motion, but it was right in sync with the beat. Danny’s face broke out into a large grin. Alyssa had found it. She took two steps forward to bring herself close to Alyssa. She leaned up to the woman’s ear and whispered.

“You found it.” Danny’s words sent a shiver down Alyssa’s spine.

“Wonderful. I guess now I have to do this, since I lost the bet.”

Alyssa leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the short woman’s lips. Blush colored both of their cheeks. 

“You made a bet that you had to kiss me if I taught you how to dance?” Danny asked but didn’t move to put any distance between the two of them.

“I did…Amanda and I got to talking and when a twin makes a bet you cannot back down. I hope you aren’t angry….” Alyssa trailed off, struck by sudden soberness as the possible consequences of her actions begin to sink in.

“Stop thinking and remind me to thank her.” Danny leaned up to kiss her again, stopping any protest from Alyssa. “Shall I get another bottle of wine to toast our success?”

“I….I wouldn’t say no.”

Danny’s grin lit up the whole room. This lesson turned out even better than she dared dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely wasn't planning on adding another chapter to this, but what do you know? Muses demand attention. Let me know what you think.  
> -Red


End file.
